Police: Bay County man attacks snowplow, causes $1,800 in damage

When I asked him why he had kicked the windshield, he stated that he lost his temper. – Bay County Sheriff's deputy

Douglas A. Petrimoulx

BAY CITY, MI —According to police, a Bangor Township man, irked over the manner in which some snow was removed, attacked a neighbor's plow truck, resulting in him facing a five-year felony.

According to police reports contained in court records, a Bay County Sheriff’s deputy on the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 26 — the day after Christmas — was dispatched to the residence of Robert A. Reed on Christiana Road near Patterson Road. Reed told the deputy that earlier that day, he had plowed Christina Road and when he came home from work, he noticed snow had apparently been shoveled back into the road and his driveway.

Reed then used his 1998 Dodge Ram truck, which had a plow attached to its front, to again remove the snow from his driveway. He then backed the truck onto Patterson Road and as he was about to move forward, he noticed a man had entered the roadway and grabbed onto a bar connected to his plow, Reed told the deputy. The man, later alleged to have been 42-year-old Patterson Road resident Douglas A. Petrimoulx, climbed onto the hood of the Dodge and began jumping on it, Reed told police.

Petrimoulx kicked at the Dodge’s windshield and broke it, Reed said. Reed got out of his truck and asked the other man what he was doing, and the man started screaming, Reed said.

The deputy spoke with Petrimoulx, who said he was upset because earlier in the day, Reed had pushed some snow into his driveway as he plowed the road. He said he pushed the snow back into Reed’s driveway.

Petrimoulx went on to say that when he saw Reed plowing again, he lost his temper. He said he entered the roadway and Reed hit him going 20 mph, court records show. Petrimoulx later changed his story to say the truck was only going about 5 mph.

“When I asked him why he had kicked the windshield, he stated that he lost his temper,” the deputy wrote in his report. Petrimoulx told the deputy he was not injured.

The following week, Reed’s wife notified the deputy that the estimated cost of the damage to the truck was $1,804.48, court records show.

Authorities issued a warrant for Petrimoulx on Thursday, Jan. 16. Petrimoulx voluntarily appeared for his arraignment on Bay County District Court on Thursday, Jan. 23.

Petrimoulx is charged with one count of malicious destruction of property more than $1,000 but less than $20,000. Petrimoulx is to appear for a preliminary examination before District Judge Mark E. Janer at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Petrimoulx is represented by Marcus Garske of Bay City's Gower Reddick law firm.